Galgus
Emperor
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2012
- Messages
- 1,705
I've always thought Beyond Earth has incredible potential with most of it untapped.
More than anything I think it needs more flavor, more things that make it stand out and spice it up to make it a good game.
Thread title links exist for ideas best summarized here and read in detail elsewhere so as not to clutter things.
______________
Threatening Aliens
_______________
Prior to release the Aliens were advertised as a truly dangerous entity to anger, but they tend to be tamer than Barbarians.
To start, removing Ultrasonic Fence from the game would prevent players from negating them as a threat.
Destroying Alien Nests would now grant a substantial food boost to the nearest city rather than Energy, making more sense logically and making them a better target.
Continuing this trend, the Survivalism Might virtue now grants food in the nearest city based on the combat strength of slain Aliens.
Clearing miasma or forests would attract Aliens and make them locally more aggressive similarly to how proximity to a Nest or a recent attack does.
I would make hostile actions against them generally anger them faster, with destroying Nests being enough to instantly make them very hostile.
Hostile aliens will now swarm cities, creating scenarios where players will truly need to fight for survival.
To help defensive players out, hostile actions within one's own territory anger the Aliens half as much, Siege Worms and Kraken take twice the aggression to shift to each hostility stage, and both of them have a longer delay before spawning.
Altogether these changes would make a soft warmongering tactic of riling up the Aliens more viable, and make conflicts with the Aliens more impactful.
________________________
Army Based Defense
_____________________________
I feel that Aliens and wars in general would be more interesting if they were based more on Armies rather than breaking city-fortesses with mobs of ranged units.
First, at the start of the game three Military units are mainenance free - raising by 1 with every three Affinity levels.
This keeps them from being a drain on one's economy for no immediate benefit while they are not being used offensively.
Second, melee units no longer take damage from attacking cities.
This will make conquering with melee units more viable; in particular Aliens would be far more dangerous.
Third, cities now lack a ranged attack before building a Rocket Battery, reinforcing the sense of danger in the early game.
Fourth, units now receive a 15% combat boost in their own territory. Aliens receive a 15% combat boost in Miasma.
_______________
Biome based threat and resource modifiers, Multi-Biome maps, and three new Biomes
_________________
Biomes now influence basic resource quantities and locations, as well as terrain features and layouts.
Each Biome also has its own tweaks to the quantity of small and/or large Aliens and their locations, giving them unique threats.
Maps can now include multiple Biomes, with the locations of different Biomes determined by semi-random map generation weighted by fitting map locations for them.
Tundra biomes are mineral rich frozen wastes with small clusters of forest.
Volcanic biomes host dangerous, but magma energy-rich ashlands around volcanic mountains with lush forests in the distance.
Swamp biomes are rich in rivers and marshlands overrun by aliens and miasma with small, safer hill zones.
________________________________________________
Quest Overhauls, New Quests and Station Quests
___________________________________
Frankly, I think we could use more quests that require some form of interaction, with more unique, fun, and worthwhile rewards.
They can also be made to be far more relevant in Affinity accrual, making it less strictly tech reliant.
Some of them may stir the pot of international relations, leading to conflicts over affinity and control of Progenitor Ruins.
Station quests allow you to either side with them for a trade boost, destroy them for a large one-time boost, or capture them for an enhanced city.
Stations also impede city expansion far less than they used to, though they each come with their own potential downside.
________________________________________________
Natural Wonders with Affinity Quest Decisions
________________________________
A list of, currently, six Natural Wonders for Beyond Earth that can be developed in affinity-specific ways.
This adds a bit of story to how your colony interacts with them while mechanically helping them scale to the mid-late game.
_____________________________________
Federations: Formal Alliance system and Victory condition
____________________________________
Federations are essentially formal alliances where colonies in the same federation vote on matters of war, peace, federation leader, and alien relations.
If you are the leader of a federation that includes all colonies that still retains their capitol city, you win after a countdown.
The faction leader sets a minor bonus that is shared by all federation members, but as a downside for joining federation members gain increased spy effectiveness against their federation allies.
Breaking from and spying within federations can have diplomatic consequences, adding weight to joining, betraying, and leaving them.
Though it is not the only factor, they form easier along affinity lines.
With them, true world wars may become more commonplace, and you may find several disgruntled AI's team up against you if you near victory.
_____________________________
Devotions System: Making Affinity far more impactful on your colony.
______________________
This is my biggest, most impactful proposal.
I hate how Affinity choice is far less influential on ones's colony than Ideologies were in BNW despite being central to the game's theme.
With this system, unlocked primarily with Culture and secondarily with Science and gated by affinity level, Affinity choice will have an outright massive impact on your colony.
Harmony colonies become the most populous with massive growth, health, and expansion bonuses. While other Affinities live on the planet, Harmony truly thrives on it.
Purity colonies are culturally focused, converting cultural output into other yields. They focus on building a utopia for humanity, and are encouraged to mix Terrascapes into their tiles.
Supremacy colonies become industrial juggernauts, eventually substituting food for energy and production to grow their cities. They are also the strongest specialist affinity with their augmentations.
_________________
Fleet Expeditions: The beginnings of multi-planet empires.
_______________________
This is essentially a late game system that provides powerful trade routes from early post-Earth colonization efforts, mining operations, and research voyages.
Players must secure ample amounts of Energy, Titanium, and Geothermal resources to construct and defend expeditionary fleets and the military fleets to guard and raid them.
Military fleets consist of current air units assigned to them and new Capital ships: powerful units that are extremely expensive to construct and repair.
Massive trade yields and pillaged energy await players who fully utilize this system.
Important note - this system is kept entirely planet-centric to not disrupt the theme of Beyond Earth. Players will not be managing new colonies on other planets.
___________________
New Victory Conditions
_____________________
Every Affinity/ sub affinity combination receives its own victory conditions with its own - to the extent of my imagination - unique challenges.
All in all, this makes for 9 Affinity victory conditions, for a total of 12 ways to win including Contact, Conquest, and Federations.
This also helps explore the dynamics and goals of a colony based on its affinity while allowing immersion seeking players more options.
_____________
Extra Idea - Possible Fourth Affinity
____________
Less of a true suggestion, the Discovery affinity focuses on a potential reaction to the Progenitors where they are seen as an enlightened elder raise to be followed and emulated - culturally, scientifically, and genetically.
Research on the Progenitors leads to a psionic theme, largely focused on debuffs and somewhat experimental equipment that works best at full health in combat.
It doesn't truly fit the theme as well as Beyond Earth's excellent Affinities, but it qualifies as a philosophy and response to what was found on the planet that shapes a colony's development.
More than anything I think it needs more flavor, more things that make it stand out and spice it up to make it a good game.
Thread title links exist for ideas best summarized here and read in detail elsewhere so as not to clutter things.
______________
Threatening Aliens
_______________
Prior to release the Aliens were advertised as a truly dangerous entity to anger, but they tend to be tamer than Barbarians.
To start, removing Ultrasonic Fence from the game would prevent players from negating them as a threat.
Destroying Alien Nests would now grant a substantial food boost to the nearest city rather than Energy, making more sense logically and making them a better target.
Continuing this trend, the Survivalism Might virtue now grants food in the nearest city based on the combat strength of slain Aliens.
Clearing miasma or forests would attract Aliens and make them locally more aggressive similarly to how proximity to a Nest or a recent attack does.
I would make hostile actions against them generally anger them faster, with destroying Nests being enough to instantly make them very hostile.
Hostile aliens will now swarm cities, creating scenarios where players will truly need to fight for survival.
To help defensive players out, hostile actions within one's own territory anger the Aliens half as much, Siege Worms and Kraken take twice the aggression to shift to each hostility stage, and both of them have a longer delay before spawning.
Altogether these changes would make a soft warmongering tactic of riling up the Aliens more viable, and make conflicts with the Aliens more impactful.
________________________
Army Based Defense
_____________________________
I feel that Aliens and wars in general would be more interesting if they were based more on Armies rather than breaking city-fortesses with mobs of ranged units.
First, at the start of the game three Military units are mainenance free - raising by 1 with every three Affinity levels.
This keeps them from being a drain on one's economy for no immediate benefit while they are not being used offensively.
Second, melee units no longer take damage from attacking cities.
This will make conquering with melee units more viable; in particular Aliens would be far more dangerous.
Third, cities now lack a ranged attack before building a Rocket Battery, reinforcing the sense of danger in the early game.
Fourth, units now receive a 15% combat boost in their own territory. Aliens receive a 15% combat boost in Miasma.
_______________
Biome based threat and resource modifiers, Multi-Biome maps, and three new Biomes
_________________
Biomes now influence basic resource quantities and locations, as well as terrain features and layouts.
Each Biome also has its own tweaks to the quantity of small and/or large Aliens and their locations, giving them unique threats.
Maps can now include multiple Biomes, with the locations of different Biomes determined by semi-random map generation weighted by fitting map locations for them.
Tundra biomes are mineral rich frozen wastes with small clusters of forest.
Volcanic biomes host dangerous, but magma energy-rich ashlands around volcanic mountains with lush forests in the distance.
Swamp biomes are rich in rivers and marshlands overrun by aliens and miasma with small, safer hill zones.
________________________________________________
Quest Overhauls, New Quests and Station Quests
___________________________________
Frankly, I think we could use more quests that require some form of interaction, with more unique, fun, and worthwhile rewards.
They can also be made to be far more relevant in Affinity accrual, making it less strictly tech reliant.
Some of them may stir the pot of international relations, leading to conflicts over affinity and control of Progenitor Ruins.
Station quests allow you to either side with them for a trade boost, destroy them for a large one-time boost, or capture them for an enhanced city.
Stations also impede city expansion far less than they used to, though they each come with their own potential downside.
________________________________________________
Natural Wonders with Affinity Quest Decisions
________________________________
A list of, currently, six Natural Wonders for Beyond Earth that can be developed in affinity-specific ways.
This adds a bit of story to how your colony interacts with them while mechanically helping them scale to the mid-late game.
_____________________________________
Federations: Formal Alliance system and Victory condition
____________________________________
Federations are essentially formal alliances where colonies in the same federation vote on matters of war, peace, federation leader, and alien relations.
If you are the leader of a federation that includes all colonies that still retains their capitol city, you win after a countdown.
The faction leader sets a minor bonus that is shared by all federation members, but as a downside for joining federation members gain increased spy effectiveness against their federation allies.
Breaking from and spying within federations can have diplomatic consequences, adding weight to joining, betraying, and leaving them.
Though it is not the only factor, they form easier along affinity lines.
With them, true world wars may become more commonplace, and you may find several disgruntled AI's team up against you if you near victory.
_____________________________
Devotions System: Making Affinity far more impactful on your colony.
______________________
This is my biggest, most impactful proposal.
I hate how Affinity choice is far less influential on ones's colony than Ideologies were in BNW despite being central to the game's theme.
With this system, unlocked primarily with Culture and secondarily with Science and gated by affinity level, Affinity choice will have an outright massive impact on your colony.
Harmony colonies become the most populous with massive growth, health, and expansion bonuses. While other Affinities live on the planet, Harmony truly thrives on it.
Purity colonies are culturally focused, converting cultural output into other yields. They focus on building a utopia for humanity, and are encouraged to mix Terrascapes into their tiles.
Supremacy colonies become industrial juggernauts, eventually substituting food for energy and production to grow their cities. They are also the strongest specialist affinity with their augmentations.
_________________
Fleet Expeditions: The beginnings of multi-planet empires.
_______________________
This is essentially a late game system that provides powerful trade routes from early post-Earth colonization efforts, mining operations, and research voyages.
Players must secure ample amounts of Energy, Titanium, and Geothermal resources to construct and defend expeditionary fleets and the military fleets to guard and raid them.
Military fleets consist of current air units assigned to them and new Capital ships: powerful units that are extremely expensive to construct and repair.
Massive trade yields and pillaged energy await players who fully utilize this system.
Important note - this system is kept entirely planet-centric to not disrupt the theme of Beyond Earth. Players will not be managing new colonies on other planets.
___________________
New Victory Conditions
_____________________
Every Affinity/ sub affinity combination receives its own victory conditions with its own - to the extent of my imagination - unique challenges.
All in all, this makes for 9 Affinity victory conditions, for a total of 12 ways to win including Contact, Conquest, and Federations.
This also helps explore the dynamics and goals of a colony based on its affinity while allowing immersion seeking players more options.
_____________
Extra Idea - Possible Fourth Affinity
____________
Less of a true suggestion, the Discovery affinity focuses on a potential reaction to the Progenitors where they are seen as an enlightened elder raise to be followed and emulated - culturally, scientifically, and genetically.
Research on the Progenitors leads to a psionic theme, largely focused on debuffs and somewhat experimental equipment that works best at full health in combat.
It doesn't truly fit the theme as well as Beyond Earth's excellent Affinities, but it qualifies as a philosophy and response to what was found on the planet that shapes a colony's development.
